CJB145
Why does NSW have a higher imprisonment rate than Victoria?
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Author
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Don Weatherburn, Katrina Grech and Jessie Holmes |
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Published
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December 2010 |
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Report Type
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Crime and Justice Bulletin No. 145 |
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Subject
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Bail / Remand; Prisons and prisoners; Sentencing
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Keywords
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NSW, Victoria, prison, bail, sentence, remand, crime |
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Summary
Aim
To examine the influence of sentencing practice and other factors on the difference between NSW and Victoria in their imprisonment rates.
Method
Descriptive analysis of national crime, court and prison data.
Results
The NSW court appearance rate is 26 per cent higher than that in Victoria. The overall conviction rate in NSW is 85.7 per cent, compared with 79.0 per cent in Victoria. The overall percentage imprisoned is significantly higher in NSW (7.5%) than in Victoria (5.4%). The mean expected time to serve among prisoners dealt with by Victorian courts is slightly longer than the mean expected time to serve among prisoners dealt with by NSW courts. The NSW remand rate is approximately 2.5 times the Victorian remand rate.
Conclusion
The higher NSW imprisonment rate is attributable to a higher rate of court appearance, a slightly higher conviction rate, a higher likelihood of imprisonment and a higher likelihood of remand in custody.
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